Plans
by HecateA
Summary: "And it came to me then that every plan is a tiny prayer to father time." Ten Days of Percabeth, day 1, Mark of Athena spoilers.


**Hey! So I got a request on Tumblr to try something called Ten Days of Percabeth- basically ten one-shots about Percabeth published in ten consecutive days (because The Mark of Athena happened). ****But this request coincided with my best friend finishing Mark of Athena- and we all know that that means feels. So this is released for her birthday, whose glorious party was today, and the ten days are dedicated to her. Also I feel bad about neglecting all of you for NaNoWriMo. So here is day 1.**

**Dedication: a fry**

**Disclaimer: Me no own PJO**

**PS- Thanks for the annon who first mentioned that my line breaks were forgotten. Oops. **

* * *

**Plans**

* * *

_And it came to me then, that every plan is a tiny prayer to Father Time_

_-Death Cab for Cutie_

* * *

"We should head to Camp Jupiter for Thanksgiving," Annabeth said.

"I want to see how the romans eat at Thanksgiving. It'll be _glorious." _Leo said.

"Yeah, I guess it'd be cool." Percy said. Annabeth frowned.

"What's wrong Seaweed Brain?" She asked. "Thanksgiving food is your favourite food of them all."

"It's just… I think it's early to bring up Thanksgiving." Percy said.

"It's a month away," Annabeth said. "Not really. Especially since you and I need to find a ride to get there."

Percy nodded, but he didn't seem quite there.

* * *

"Seaweed Brain, you're not going to find a gift for your mom in this store. Not one that you can afford, anyways." Annabeth said. The puffy white snowflakes that had speckled her hair and made her look like an angel, and she held her gloves in her hands.

"Yeah," Percy said dropping the price tag he was looking at, disgusted with its numbers.

"Didn't you have an idea what to get her? A plan?"

"Nope," Percy said. This was weird; he never missed an occasion to give Sally a present. No kidding; he got her flowers on Columbus Day. But Annabeth just went along with it.

* * *

It was Valentine's Day and if there was one thing Annabeth did not want to be doing it was reminding her boyfriend of what day it was.

"I- I don't count days anymore," he said. "But I do have something for you."

"You do?" Annabeth said.

"Yeah," Percy said. "I planned that one."

He reached into his pocket and took out a little navy box. He was off to a good start. Annabeth gave him a questioning look before opening. The pendant was silver, in the shape of an owl, the size of an eraser, but the only details were two rubies where the eyes should've been. She looked up at him, jaw dropped.

"Oh my gods," she said. "It's so…"

"Love you," Percy said gathering her in his arms. She hugged him back.

* * *

The whole apartment was peaceful. Sally was getting supper into the over early because she had a meeting with her publisher later on in the evening, Paul was correcting essays and taking walks away from the pile of work every now and then- clearly disappointed to the point of pain, and Percy was struggling with algebra.

Annabeth showed up at his apartment a few minutes after her school was out and there was a smile as wide as the horizon on her face. She held up a letter to Percy as soon as the door was opened.

"I got into Cornell U!" She said as soon as she saw him. The whole Jackson household sprung to life because this was big, big, _big _news. Paul got to his feet and Sally dropped what she was doing to smile and go look at the door, and Percy grabbed her into a hug. Annabeth squealed in a very unAnnabeth like fashion (but of course it was obvious that if she'd ever squeal it'd be about school) and wrapped her arms around his neck. Percy actually lifted her off her feet and kissed her cheek.

"I knew you would, Wise Girl," Percy said.

"I'm on a full scholarship, like, I get a dorm and everything and oh my gods I just can't…" Percy kissed her and her feet touched down so Sally and Paul got hugs.

"I just got my letter today at the office and I'm so excited." She said.

"We can tell," Paul laughed.

"Oh, congratulations sweetheart," Sally said holding her close.

"Cornell has the best undergraduate program for architecture and it's been that way since 2005." Annabeth said, repeating a stat they all knew.

"Then of course they need you there," Percy said putting a hand on her back. Annabeth's smile was contagious, even if they wouldn't all be happy for her to start with.

After a long while of just excitement she asked if she could call her dad, and they nearly heard the whole Chase family celebrate on the other end of the phone. Annabeth looked giddy with excitement, and Percy couldn't help but keep her in his arms.

He also called her Wise Architect for the whole evening. (Maybe week… or month.)

* * *

Annabeth picked a new brochure after throwing away the one for the University of Illinois.

"See, this is University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. It's not too far from camp, and you did want to work with horses right?"

"Yeah, I guess." Percy said.

Annabeth put the brochure down on his living room coffee table. A pile more waited, and there was a basket full of ones Percy had decided he didn't want to go to. Their legs were stretched out under the table.

"Percy, are you paying attention?"

"Yeah, I am." He said. "College and university brochures. Yay, yay, yay."

"Is there something you'd like to tell me?" Annabeth said.

"I… I don't know about college."

"You don't want to go?" Annabeth asked. As a daughter of Athena this blew Annabeth's mind, but she kept everything down. It was his life, not hers, she had to stay cool and…

"No, no. It's not that." Percy said. "I just… it's so much planning."

"It's not that bad Seaweed Brain," she said. "You fill out an application, send it in, and repeat."

"I didn't say it was hard, I said… Like, you pick a school, you pick a job, you pick a lifestyle, you go, you live…"

"You don't want to choose?" Annabeth asked.

"No, I already did that." Percy said. Vet, or vet tech; that was what he'd told her one day when they were in Tartarus and Annabeth needed a poke to remember that there was a future to hope for. "I just… I don't want to plan and have it all go away."

Annabeth looked at him. His eyes were sad and haunted when he looked at her.

"I don't want to be almost there and almost doing something I love and almost living a dream life… and then suddenly it's gone and I can't."

"You're thinking of how Hera took you?" Annabeth said.

"I'm thinking of how Hera took me, how Atlas took you, how we fell into Tartarus, how Thalia's tree got poisoned, how the labyrinth was leading into camp, how the giants rose… Life as a demigod usually doesn't include a future and if… if I start hoping for one and I die or… or you die… I'm not sure I want to be that disappointed in life. Not again." He said.

"I'm in your future?" Annabeth asked despite herself.

"You're in my everywhere." Percy said. "That's half of why I'm so terrified."

Annabeth wrapped her arms around Percy's neck and repositioned herself so they were real close. Demons were revisiting Percy right now.

"Another thing about life as a demigod it's that it's short," Annabeth said. "I'm thinking of Luke, Lee, Silena, Beckendorf... So part of it is making plans and dreaming because we might not have the chance to live it all, but just in case we do, we only live once, and we have to make it worth it."

Percy's eyes met hers.

"So I say that you should make plans," Annabeth said. "Because you have to start at A to get to B and then land at C."

He looked over at her.

"I… I did do some research…" He said. "And Cornell has a vet program?"

A smile spread on Annabeth's lips and Percy returned him.

"If my life's going to be short, I plan on having you in it, Wise Architect." He said.

Annabeth leaned in and kissed him. "And I plan on staying close."

He put a hand behind her head and kissed her again. "Together."


End file.
